Switch-control mechanism



' C. G. BRADSHAW SWITQH CONTROL MECHANISM Filed June 24. 1927 2Sheets-Sheet '1 Inventor Oct. 1, 1929. c. e. BRADSHAW SWITCH CONTROLMECHANISM Filed June 24, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet v Inventor C'flarfs G,Bradwfimw Patented Oct. 1, 1929 UNITE swrrcn-con'rnor. MECHANISMApplication filed June 24,

This invention relates to a switching device for mine trackways and aimsto provide a highly novel, simple and efliciently operating meanswhereby the switch is thrown by the car passing along the trackway sothat the car may proceed in one of two directions, the device being suchthat one car may pass in one direction, while the next car will actuatethe switch to cause its movement in the other direction and so on in analternating manner.

In carrying out the present invention there is provided means whereby asuitable element associated with the car will engage means along themain trackway for actuating the switch points and this without requiringa stoppage of the car or the agency of a switch man.

An essential and very simple feature of the device is to provide meansfor rigidly main- 29 taining the switch points in their opposed shiftedpositions to preclude any liability of the cars becoming derailed.

In the drawings wherein like reference characters indicate correspondingparts throughout the several views:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a mine trackway section equipped with myautomatic switch throw mechanism.

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary plan of certain features of thedevice constructed to maintain the switch points in rigid position afterbeing moved in opposite directions.

Figure 3 is an outer side elevation of the mechanism disclosed in Figure2.

Figure 4: is a fragmentary enlarged plan of one of the car actuatedswitch throw units, the actuating arm per se being disclosed in positionto be encountered by a suitable element associated with the car to causethe throwing of the switch point in one direction, and

Figure. 5 is a similar view disclosing other throw units, its arm beingindicated in switch thrown position.

Now having particular reference to the drawing, A designates generally amine trackway including spaced parallel rails a-a. Located at apredetermined point within the trackway is a siding B consisting ofrails 6-5. At the siding one of the rails b is constructed to provide aswitch point 6,

1927. Serial No. 201,164;

' while at the siding the opposite rail a of the a transverselyextending bar 5 thatextends 5 at one'end beyond the outer rail (1 of themain trackway A and to which outer end is pivotal ly connected a link 6.This bar 5 is arranged between spaced transverse ties 0-0, arrangedacross the outer ends of which is a bar 7, and beneath which and betweenthe ties 0-0 and in spaced relation therewith is a complementary bar 8,the centers of these bars being bent inwardly to close spaced relationas indicated in Figure 3 and between which at such point is pivotallyconnected as at 9 an X-shaped rocking lever 10, to the innermost one ofwhich at the inner sides of the bars 7 and 8 is pivotally connected thebar attaching link 6. Pivoted between the bars 7 and 8 at their oppositeends are circular blocks 11-11 formed with horizontal openings throughwhichare slidable elongated pins 12-12, the outer ends of these pinsbeing yoke and pivotally attached to the ends of one of the crossmembers of the rocking lever 10, see Figure 2. Surrounding these pins12-12 between the forward ends thereof and said blocks 11-11 areexpansible coil springs 13-13 which when the pins are swung to oppositesides of the bars 7 and 8, will maintain the rocking lever 10 in suchposition to securely lock against accidental movement the switch pointsaand b so'that the cars may move through the main trackway or onto thesiding B. A

Arranged upon pairs of transverse ties d-(Z and 6-6 at the same side ofthe main trackway upon which the lever 10 is arranged are pairs ofconventional shoe guide rails 14-14 and 15-15, the outer ends of whicharediverged outwardly so as to permit a desirable formof shoe carried bythe various mine cars to pass therebetween. Pivot ed outwardly of eachpair of guide rails 14-14 and 15-15 is an arm 14: and 15 respectively,the innerends thereof adapted toex'tend between the guide rails when theswitch points a and b are in various positions, it being no ed from aQQIlSiderationof Figures 1, 4 and 5 that when the inner end of one armis between its guide rails, the inner end of the opposite arm is in anoutwardly swung position. Connected to the arm 14 inwardly of its pivotis one end of an elongated rod 16, the opposite end of which ispivotally connected to the inner end of the cross member of the rockinglever 10 opposite from that one to which the pins 12-12 are pivotallyconnected. Pivotally connected to the opposite end of this cross memberof said rocking lever is an elongated rod 17 that is pivotally connectedat its opposite end to the outer end of the arm 14. Interconnecting thearms 14 and 15' is a rod 18 pivoted at one end to the arm 14 inwardly ofits pivot and at its opposite end to the outer end of the arm 15'outwardly of its pivot, this connection serving to cause the movement ofthe inner end of one arm between its guide rails and the outwardmovement of the other arm with respect to its guide rails.

Obviously when the switch points a and b are in the position indicatedin Figure 1, a car passing along the trackway and being equipped with aconventional trip shoe will engage between the guide rails 14-14;, andswing the arm 14 upon its pivot so as to throw the X-shaped rockinglever to a position directly opposite to that indicated in Figure 2.This movement of the lever 10 maining pin being pivotally connected tothe diametrically opposite arm, and means associated with the remainingarms of the CHARLES G. BRAD SHAW.

will obviously pull inwardly upon the bar 5 I to so actuate the switchpoint in order that the car will move onto the siding B. This movementof the mechanism will cause the inner end of the arm 15 to move betweenits guide rails 1515 so that the next car will cause a reversal ofoperation permitting that particular car to move in a forward directionbeyond the siding B.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new is A manualtrack switch operating device, a member interconnecting the switchpoints and extending at one end outwardly of the track, a pair of barsadapted to be supported by the usual ties of the track bed, said barsbeing disposed in spaced relation and provided at their intermediateportions with inwardly disposed portions, an X-shaped rocking leverpivotally mounted between said inwardly disposed portions, a pivotalconnection between the projecting end of the switch pointinterconnecting member and one of the arms of the X-shaped lever, blockshaving a horizontal bore formed therethrough adapted for pivotalarrangement between the spaced bars and at opposite sides of the X-shaped lever, a pair of pins, said pins being arranged with their outerends slidable through the openings in the said blocks, the opposite endof one of said pins being pivotally connected to the arm of the X-shapedlever having connection with the said interconnecting member, the otherend of the re-

